


i wish there was more i could do for you

by validbar



Category: Fire Emblem: Soen no Kiseki/Akatsuki no Megami | Fire Emblem Path of Radiance/Radiant Dawn
Genre: Backstory, F/M, Fluff, Pre-Canon
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-02-05
Updated: 2019-03-31
Packaged: 2019-10-23 01:31:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Major Character Death
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,342
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17673857
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/validbar/pseuds/validbar
Summary: “That… That is Lehran’s Medallion….” Zelgius looked at it with shock.Pre-canon Elena and Gawain's escape from Daein





	1. Lillia

**Author's Note:**

> i hadn't touched this since november last year so i decided to post it after rereading it. i hope you enjoy it!!! 
> 
> again, writing isnt my forte so im open for suggestions/corrections :)

The sun shined bright from above the thick of the Daein gloom. The sky was grey and tinted red. Perhaps the goddess was angry in her slumber. Birds sang from the branches and a slight breeze blew inside through the window. Elena's hands gripped the overloaded wicker basket of rags as she made her way inside. Her hands were red and calloused because of the unraveling reed. It didn’t help that Elena was already late for dinner, but she didn’t want to forget the clean rags outside just in case it rained later. The sky was full of clouds, which was a sure sign of it. She could put away these towels before the dinner started and then after she ate, she could read her book. It was a romance novel that she had picked up from a priestess who had recommended it. Elena couldn't turn down a good book, especially one that had her fellow priestess raving about it. Placing the basket down with a huff, she kneeled down and started fitting the clean towels in their drawers.

Elena heard a dreadful noise from out the window. It was a hoarse screech of a woman, sounding as if she had been screaming for hours. She hastily finished her work and looked out the window. A giant wyvern (no, a dragon?) lay at the base of the hill. But the dragon wasn’t the one making that dreaded noise. Marching up was what appeared to be a man clad in black dragging a blonde woman in grey by the hair, who was screaming. Elena ran to the main hall and as she did, the man entered with the woman. Upon looking closer, she realized the man was the king, and the woman a bird laguz with white wings. She did not dare turn the corner and make herself known, so she hid. It appeared no one else was around; that they were all eating.

He grabbed her hair, pulled her to his face, and barked, “I'll teach you what it means to not comply with my wishes, you filth!” The king threw her down and she yelped. Her face was red and covered in ash, tears, and snot. In fact, she looked like she just came out of a burning house. He pulled something wrapped in cloth from out of his pocket and gave it to her. “You have one last chance. Sing the song or suffer.” She panicked, shook her head,  and coughed out something in a language Elena didn't recognize. The king, realizing she wasn't going to, picked her up by her wrist and took her to the door that led to the cellar. She cried and revolted in her tongue, but he did not react to it. Her protests didn’t even make him stumble. They went down and left the main hall echoing with silence. Faint clamor could be heard from the dining hall, but that was it.

He eventually stomped back up. The king saw Elena and glared at her. He stomped over and spoke down, mouth rife with saliva, “How much of that did you bare witness to? Speak, priestess.”

“All of it, your majesty. I’m sure no one else did because they’re all at dinner, if that's what you were concerned with,” she peeped out.

He looked away with anger, then back at her. “Then I place you in charge with the woman downstairs. You know what she is right?” He appeared to still be mad, but not with Elena (she had hoped).

“Yes, she is a la- a subhuman.” She never liked the name subhuman, and had educated herself and tried to teach those around her to say laguz.

The king snorted and continued, “See to her escape, and I will have you executed, nay, this whole temple. It has no worth to me. Do you understand?”

“Yes, your majesty.” Elena bowed her head. He turned and left the temple. Looking up, she wiped her face from the spit and the sweat that trailed down. That was her first encounter with the king, but she felt it was certainly not her last. Elena hastened over to the cellar door and descended. She tried some of the doors, and found a locked one. Elena unlocked it and tried to push it open. It wouldn’t budge, so she put her weight on it and tried again. She heard a moan and weeping on the other side of it. “Oh! Ma’am, I’m so sorry I didn’t know you were against the door!” The woman cried and stuttered something in her language. She tried to use the door knob to lift herself up, but stumbled backwards and fell with a sob. Elena cracked the door and peeked in. The woman regarded her in terror and shuffled backwards. Elena came in all the way and got on her knees. “Hey, it’s okay,” she said kindly. “Can you speak my language?” All Elena got in response was staggered breathing and worried eyes. Her wings and body were covered in soot. Elena hummed. “How about this.” She crawled closer to the woman and held her hand to her chest. “Elena. Elena.” She announced her name, then gestured to the woman. The woman continued to look at her and gulped. Elena sighed and got up to leave, not getting anywhere.

“Lillia.” Her voice was scratchy from screaming, but that was definitely a name.

“Lillia?” she nodded.

Lillia pointed to her and said, “Elena…” She rubbed her throat and said, “Ahh….”

Elena nodded and got up. She locked the door behind her and went up to the dining hall. Murmurs arose for her entrance saying things like “There you are!”, “Did you hear that screaming?”, and “Where were you?”. Elena was dumbfounded and driven to just get the food and go back to Lillia. She left the dining hall with the food and sped back to the cellar.

Elena sat on the floor and watched her drink the water in one gulp. She gave the cup back to Elena and rubbed her throat again like before. Elena nodded, stood back up again, and went to go fill up a pitcher. She came back and poured her another glass, she downed it again, and held it back out to Elena. She poured more water and looked at her soot-covered face. “We need to get you a wash,” she muttered. Lillia only watched Elena over her glass. She sat the pitcher down and said “Wait here,” getting up and leaving. Lillia waited for the lock to click, grabbed the pitcher, and started drinking from it.

With a tub of water, cloths, and a change of clothes, she slowly made her way back into the room. She came back to the pitcher empty, her food untouched, and Lillia rubbing her throat again. Elena sat down the tub next to her, dipped a rag in, rang it out, then started gently rubbing her forehead. Lillia grabbed her cup and dipped it in the tub and started drinking it. “Lillia!” Elena shook her head. “That’s for cleaning you… oh, I guess it can’t be helped.” She kept working her way, trying to clean her the best she could from her face, to her arms, wings, and so on. Lillia stopped drinking the tub water once it became grey in soot. “Is this why there’s smoke in the air? There have been orange skies and it’s been more grey than usual for Daein.” Lillia didn’t answer, just looked at Elena. “Ah, just as I thought; you're covered in burns.” Her skin was abraded and red. She grabbed the pitcher and left once again.

This time, she came back with her staff and more water, which Lillia started drinking, slower this time. It seemed this would be the last bit of water she would need for now. She gasped as she started healing her. Lillia sat down the water and gripped Elena’s free hand, wincing. Her bruises and burns faded ever so slightly from visibility. Lillia exhaled and sobbed as the priestess finished up. Elena handed Lillia the clothes. “These are mine, I hope they fit.” Elena softly smiled at the winged woman; she closed her eyes, nodded, and took the clothes.

The clothes weren't able to fit over her wings, so Elena had to rip out some of the back. It was a shame, that was her nice dress, but she could tell Lillia was thankful.

  


Lillia grew more frail as the days turned to weeks. The blanket of gloom passed over the Daein landscape shortly after she had came to the temple. Elena by then had heard of the fire that destroyed the Serenes Forest, along with all the heron laguz that resided in it.

“Goddess... you must be the last heron…” Elena teared up and held her hand over her mouth. Lillia placed her hand on Elenas shoulder and closed her eyes. She carefully wrapped her hands around Lillia to hug her, and she hugged her back. The winged woman had grown gaunt, and shook with each exhale. “I wish… I wish there was more I could do for you.”

 


	2. Knight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> a knight comes in the night

The first time he was sent to the temple, it was night. Dead soil compressed with each stomp of his horse’s hoof as the cold air crept across the ground. The temple’s arches and windows were ajar in the night sky, white stone still visible under the moon’s stolen light.

The man descended into the chambers where the king had told him the subhuman had lay; bitter words on his majesty’s foul tongue. He lit a lantern and opened the door into the room. The winged woman lay on her bed and looked to be asleep. Her stale clothes draped off her taut body, ribs and hips reaching up to the sky in unanswered prayer. A despairing angel with shallow breath, illuminated by silent candlelight. The knight stepped in, his leather soles tapping on the stone floors. 

“Who goes there?” 

He turned upon hearing a voice, the shrill whisper of a young woman. She held her staff as if it were a weapon, aiming it at him. Her face glowed orange in the candlelight.

“Are you the priestess charged with watching over this woman?” The man whispered back. He maintained a noble air about him, though surprised.

“Yes; ordered from King Ashnard himself. Kindly answer me, who may you be, sir?” Elena questioned him. She feared for Lillia but did not let it show. All the men that came around her were rough and Daein; all of them out for personal gain. She could not be taken advantage of. Even with the king, she thought, there was a moment of weakness. She could not be proud of herself for simply not crying, but there was a first for everything. Elena had to make some sort of stand and defend something she had started to depend on. Thus, even if she was shaking and her face was flushed with embarrassment, holding her staff in such a way was empowering. 

“I am of Daein’s Four Riders. My name is Gawain. Tell me priestess, have you ever seen a winged laguz before?” He held out his candle to Lillia, still sleeping. Gawain’s mouth was agape in astonishment.

Gawain paid no mind to her staff, which flustered her more. She lowered her guard and replied, “No, I- Did you say laguz?”

His eyes grew wide, realizing his error. “Oh, Goddess, I misspoke-”

“So in your heart, you say laguz as well?” Perhaps in authority, there lay hope, Elena thought. “How fortunate a person with compassion came to our aid.” 

“Aye, regard it as luck that a person of my position has morals. I am also glad that the king had by chance chosen you to watch over her. I fear her life in another Daein’s hands could have easily been…” He looked back to Elena, “Destroyed. Just as her home, the forest.” 

Upon hearing the word forest, her heart froze for a moment. The tragedy that befell Lillia’s home… “Tell me Gawain,” Elena said, still whispering. She left the room, and prompted him to follow. He did so, and shut the door behind him. “How do you take that man’s orders?”

“How? I follow my heart before I follow any man's orders. If I can avoid taking lives while still doing my duties, I will do so. I skirt the line of obedience and treason, all while keeping the king pleased.” He grasped the air in search for words and inhaled. “I feel… I feel as though I can prevent something awful from happening. And when, not if, that day comes, I will take that chance and I will outright disobey him. I know by confiding this with you, I shouldn’t be making a mistake, seeing as you are the only other Daein citizen I’ve ever met who says ‘laguz’.”

She furrowed her brow. “But what if I told the king of your disloyalty?”

“Well,” he looked at the door, “It would give reason for me to take the winged woman out of Daein. But what is a maid’s word to a knight’s?” he asked, turning back to the priestess. 

Elena faltered. “I suppose, if you are true to your word, it gives reason to trust you. For now.” Elena exhaled sharply, but continued to question him.. “Why has the king sent you? And at this hour, no less?”

“I can’t give all my secrets, priestess. How about I ask for your name?”

“It’s Elena.”

“A name befitting for a woman so surrounded in radiance…” Gawain whispered, almost too quiet for her to hear. He looked down into her sad but kind blue eyes.  _ Goddess. _   
  



	3. Unsaid

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> words they wish to share are left unsaid

“Lillia, do you know what this is?” 

Elena held out a foreign metal amulet to the resting woman. Her eyes fluttered awake and in a dazed panic, she snatched it from Elena’s hands. Lillia’s eyes wandered and met Elena’s, both in confusion. She extended the medallion cautiously to the priestess’s hand, realizing there was no effect. “Is there something amiss?”

 

Gawain visited in the nights. His visits were becoming more frequent and less work-related, and more focused on their friendship. Elena talked about her chores, eventually her past, and how her parents had sent her to the temple few years back. They did it out of the kindness of their hearts, she said, wanting to give their daughter a second chance in life, one they couldn't give their deceased son. Elena still had some resentment about this, but understood why her parents had done what they did. Gawain told her of his dreams to visit the laguz countries and how this cast him from his family. They took solace in one another through their sameness in being sent away from their family, and could no longer find themselves lonely... Sitting on the steps to the cellar eventually lead to the roof, then walks in the chilly summer nights, then to Elena’s chamber, where they shared the same breath— and realized they were in love. 

They started meeting in the day, as Lillia seemed to just sleep all the time. Perhaps her depression was affecting her too deeply, or she so strongly reviled the king’s wishes that it caused her physical situation to deteriorate… to the point that she had stopped walking and eating. She understood that everyone in the temple would die if she convinced those two kind beorc to release her. When they were in town, she was left to cry against a door she could never push open. How could the beorc be so evil yet so unknowing? Lillia saw into Gawain and Elena’s hearts and saw that they were the only good people in all of Daein, no, maybe even all of the beorc nations. She had never met a Crimean, but she felt that they must be just as wicked. Everytime she thought of the evils of the world, it worsened her state. Dwelling on the corruption corrupted her, and in turn, she stayed in her bed. Lillia had stopped crying altogether. She was numb. 

Lillia handed something wrapped in cloth to Elena. “What is this, Lilla?” She fluttered her eyes and started to sing, out of breath, voice breaking like her spirit had. 

“ _ Imisanakikeganonawot, orokokumorodametemotoikot, uaerufetotetiarahoimay, odihciuomami… _ ”

She sung those words over and over until she could only hum the melody. Elena, once she had the melody down, hummed along. She was unclear of what Lillia was trying to do by teaching her this, but she had knowledge of how the heron laguz had enchanted songs. The song and the medallion were linked in some way, and perhaps this was what the king had wanted her to do. Whether Lillia lacked the power or refused because of what was inside of it, it had significance. The king had pushed her so far to get this out of her. Lillia stopped humming, out of breath, and Elena finished the round for her. 

“Thank you. I will keep it safe.”

 

Elena immediately went to Gawain with this knowledge. She had no clue where he would be, but assumed that he would be in Nevassa. Borrowing one of the temple’s horses, Elena rode to the capital. 

The journey was short, but she feared finding Gawain was going to take a while. With no idea where to start, she went immediately to the castle. Whether this was a good decision or not, it would be a sure path to him. 

 

“Excuse me, do you know where I could find Gawain of the Four Riders?” Elena asked a guard.

“What, are you to him? His mistress?” 

She became flustered. “What?! No... I mean… Can you tell me where he is?”

“Aye, he should be training his novice on the mountain about this time.”

 

Zelgius huffed and wiped the sweat from his brow. He sat on a rock next to Gawain, taking a swig from his canteen.

“You’ve definitely improved since last time. I feel you are close to mastery. Have you been practicing on your own?”

“Yes… You seem to be off a lot; especially in the nights. Do tell, is it a woman?”

Gawain laughed. “I can’t say yet, but I am at least infatuated; yes.”

Zelgius hummed and looked down. “Look at that girl coming up the mountain. Is that her?” 

Elena stumbled up the mountain, dry from the lack of rain. She kept slipping and falling to her knees. Gawain hurried down and pulled her to her feet. “Elena, what are you doing here?”

She was out of breath. “I…” She pulled out the cloth and showed him the medallion. “This is why the king wanted Lillia in there. She doesn't have the power to do whatever he needed her to do, so she gave it to me.”

“That… That is Lehran’s Medallion….” Zelgius looked at it with shock. “How are you able to touch it, priestess?”

“I don’t know? Lillia acted surprised when she saw I was able to touch it. Why? What normally happens?” Elena asked him.

“You need to give that back to King Ashnard, priestess.”

“So he could force her to do something she can’t?!” Elena pouted. She snapped her head to back to Gawain. “We should take it back to the forest.” Elena put the medallion away. 

“We have to save Lillia too.” Gawain added. He turned to Zelgius. “I’m sorry I couldn’t teach you more, young one. I fear I must flee. Our secret is safe with you, correct?”

Zelgius looked at Gawain with disdain. “No, General Gawain. You are one of the Four Riders. This isn’t like you. Why would you betray your country?”

Gawain huffed. “Why do you want to obey one like this? I used my power to help people. I thought you could too one day, but I see you are just as foul as any other in this damned country, foreign or not. I rue the day I even took you up as my student if so.” He scowled at Zelgius. “Let’s go, Elena.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry i havent updated this for a while i forgot about it LOL i probably wont post again until summer eeck. i have the whole plot written out .. but writing it is another thing.


End file.
